Everyone wants their Tampa Bay hedges to be tall and full. Many people make the mistake of trying to rush the development of thier hedges by only spacing them on two foot centers when planting in the bed. Although this strategy makes the effect more immediate, it can often times hurt them in the long run. Since they are so close together, as the hedges grow up in the six foot range, the root systems tend to intertwine and effectively strangle each other.
Another reason hedges can become too crowded is created by people trying to cut them straight up to create a “box” look. Hedges need to be trimmed thinner towards the top to allow light through to the base for continued growth and health. There is also a natural tendency for people using hedge trimmers to cut the top bigger as they cut higher and higher.
A corrective action for the crowded hedges is to remove every other one to give the remaining plants room to breathe. The hedges will eventually fill in and be a lot healthier. If you haven’t planted yet, use at least three, if not four foot centers for your Tampa Hedges.